Pattern replication in polyaniline–polystyrene thin films

Blends of polyaniline doped with camphorsulfonic acid (PANI(CSA)) and polystyrene (PS) were spin-cast from chloroform onto gold substrate patterned with a hydrophobic self-assembled monolayer (CH3-SAM). As a result, the replication of the substrate pattern into the formed thin films was obtained, observed as pattern-directed variation of both film thickness and polyaniline distribution. The thin films were examined by means of optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).